Well here we are in the tropics waiting to see some sunshine - at least it's still shorts and polo shirts.
Mackay Marina is a good quiet spot - surprisingly big with a massive rock breakwater around it - must be 10 metres or more high. The tides are interesting as the marina sits well done below the breakwater and the ramps to the floating marina jetties get quite steep at low tide - bearing in mind we have 6 metre tides here.
We were amazed at the amount of driftwood (drift trees) on the beach south of the marina - it doesn't bear thinking about this all floating around in the Coral Sea!
We also caught up for a drink and meal with Mark and Sharon O'Driscoll. GJ knows Mark from Westpac and we were able to share stories about the O'Driscoll's motor cycle adventures and the Jennings' adventures at sea - a very pleasant Sunday afternoon/evening.
So yesterday was shopping day and you try not to bring the shopping back at low tide! Sitting low however does keep us out of the weather somewhat - oh! that weather - the South East wind and showers just don't stop - 24 x 7 - it's like airconditioning that's in your face.
Anyway we have reprovisioned with food, diesel, water, drinks, laundry and just waiting for the mechanic to turn up and service 'Victor' the Volvo.
We plan to leave here later today or early tomorrow - there is a promising weather outlook looming - and we would like to offset all the marina time we have had by staying out in the islands as long as we can.
Basically from here we go to Keswick/St Bees Is, Scawfell Is, Brampton Is, Goldsmith Is, Thomas Is, Shaw Is, then other Whitsunday Islands - our biggest decision hopefully will be whether to go to Hamilton Island or Airlie Beach for our next reprovisioning - probably Airlie Beach.
If the weather acts up we should be able to find a hide out somewhere in the islands - so that's the plan.
As usual 'Murphy' and 'Hughie' will be guiding factors that we can't control.
'Murphy's Law' is ever present and you try and anticipate as best you can.
Like going to the fuel jetty yesterday (which is also a Customs Clearance 'quarantine' location) the same time as 2 overseas yachts arrived. Customs approached us and I thought we were going to get the 'big search' - it would have been embarrassing for them to see our wine cellar! Anyway we could refuel (though the several pumps were broken down - except for one 'high flow' diesel pump) and in the meantime an overseas arrival blocked us in and we were under strict instructions not to talk to any overseas arrivals or touch them, their belongings or yacht! So talk about going from low stress to high stress refuelling - and it was now a 2 hour process to fill up 100 litres of diesel - and of course not possible to get any outboard fuel from the broken down unleaded pump! - so need to solve this one before we leave. How do you anticipate 'Murphy'?
'Hughie' can be with you, or making it tougher - basically farmers want 'Hughie' to 'send it down' (rain) and sailors call on 'Hughie' to 'blow' for wind - then we whinge when we get too much or not enough of either - or get it at the wrong time - which is sort of inevitable - like 'Hughie' listens? Anyway enough because we want to stay on good terms with 'Hughie'.
To manage all this as best we can we use www.seabreeze.com.au which gives a great 7 day wind and wave forecast - it also hotlinks to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) marine forecasts and their synoptic charts which show the high and low weather systems for the next 4 days.
The other site we like is www.passageweather.com which has the BOM wind maps, surface pressure and wave heights. The surface pressure maps really show the air pressure differentials in relation to where you are and the surrounding areas. Air flows from high pressure areas to low pressure areas - that is wind - and the greater the differential the stronger it will be. I am very pleased to see the barometric pressure on my watch at 1018 hPa at present - it has been in the 1020's for some time and the top of Cape Yorke is usually around 1010-1012 - so bodes well for less wind.
www.willyweather is good for the tides, and you always want to know if it spring or neap tides up here - plus falling tides carrying you North and you fight rising tides heading that direction.
Anyway enough from the 'Echo Beach' meteorology bureau - the mechanic is now here to see 'Victor'.